DuBois presents a fictionalized account of the 1917 race riot in East St. Louis, as experienced by members of the Goodwin family (quite well-off), their maid, their milkman (white, sweet on the maid) and his family, and members of the poor African American community. In the process DuBois weaves together tangled relationships, family secrets, and more, taking the reader into the every-day life of racism at that time and place. This was all to the good. However, the book also builds a complicated set of romantic entanglements, using an old-fashioned, highly dramatic approach that detracts from the core story. I was surprised to look back and see that this is a recent publication. It "feels" like something written decades ago. I enjoyed reading this book. It was sad in many ways and I'd prefer if the author kept the reader in suspense about Emma Lyn's parentage till the very end, but at the first hint I knew what she was. But her and Henry's love made a good story of how would their love and life pan out in a segregated society. I would've also preferred a happier ending, though it ended on a semi or rather bitterly sweet note, but I suppose the author wanted to keep the story close to the actual events. The relationship between Emma and her calculated mother who desperately wanted to blend with whites is pretty touching. Towards the end the story seemed rushed, the scenes were short and jumpy. I felt the scenes could have been fleshed out more, details added to give us the scenery and what characters felt. I didn't get Emma Lyn's emotions, whether she was scared, terrified, and I imagine she would've been. It read as if it's all the same to her. Unfortunately, this is where the author should've taken her time. I didn't get the impact of the scenes the author wanted to project. Instead of writing that note at the end which basically told us about the riots and how they started, she had this unique opportunity to show us all of this through action. It would have greater impact on the reader. As is just reads as a bunch of historical facts. I don't think this is what the author aimed for.
What do You think about Shadows Of St. Louis (2012)?
Interesting read. It gives insight into an incident that gets little coverage.
—jojo
